Language Learning Apps in Europe Show 71% Increase in Popularity

The idea of learning new languages through mobile apps becomes more and more popular in Europe. As for 2021, the number of installs for language learning apps rose by 71% in Europe. The most popular among them are Duolingo, Busuu, and Babel, with significant differences in their users’ demographics and location.

The most popular are multilingual apps and those meant for kids. Their leadership shows that, first, many language learners are not about to settle down after mastering one language, and second, more kids learn new languages as they grow, instead of growing monolingual. 

Similar growth was reported in 2020. It is explained by lockdowns caused by COVID-19, when people embraced education through apps. The trend continued throughout 2021. Many of these apps offer free mode, but paid users get more content and enjoy the ad-free experience. That’s why Europeans spent about $160M on these apps throughout 2021, appreciating the pros of premium plans.

The leaders among these apps are Duolingo, Busuu, Babbel, and Mondly. Duolingo, with its gamified learning process, is especially popular among the young. Given that using English as the base language gives you access to more foreign ones, no wonder that its highest popularity is reached in the UK. Busuu is the most popular among those under 35, and Babbel is the app of choice among the 45+ audience. Mondly is about equally popular about various groups, with no peaks, but it’s still among the three most profitable apps of the year.

The trend sustains in 2022. Only in Q1 2022, 20 million European users installed at least one app for language learning. Given the current events, especially the number of refugees in Europe (Ukrainian but not only), more and more users will learn languages through apps because of this, some to accommodate in the new environment, and some to communicate with them.

Which is your favorite language learning app? Which languages do or did you learn with it? How successful you were, and how practical your knowledge turned out? Let’s exchange our stories in the comments!